Thousands Draw Attention to Child Abuse by Wearing Blue on April 8

Cincinnati (April 7, 2015) An unusual number of Hamilton County residents will wear blue suits, dresses, sweatshirts and other apparel tomorrow – not as a fashion statement, but as a social statement about the troubling problem of child abuse.

Wednesday is “Wear Blue. Child Abuse is Preventable” day in Hamilton County and throughout the state of Ohio. Child welfare agencies in state’s 88 counties have banded together in a campaign to increase awareness of child abuse and discuss reporting and preventing it. April is national Child Abuse Prevention Month and this is the fourth straight April the state’s counties have held a “Wear Blue” event.

Locally, Hamilton County Job and Family Services, Hamilton County Juvenile Court and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center are teaming up to raise awareness. The Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed it “Wear Blue. Child Abuse is Preventable Day in Hamilton County and Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley did the same for the city of Cincinnati. Prominent politicians, business leaders, social services leaders and media personalities are all expected to wear blue.

Fountain Square will be abuzz during the noon hour with WDBZ broadcasting live in honor of the event and volunteers passing out child abuse prevention material. The Fountain Square big screen will play child abuse awareness messages throughout the month of April.

Hamilton County received almost 6,000 new reports of child abuse and neglect last year and served nearly 17,000 local children. That is one in 11 in the community.

“We need look no further than two tragic, high-profile child deaths in the past month to know child abuse haunts our community,” said Moira Weir, director of Hamilton County Job and Family Services. “Wearing blue is an easy thing to do and promotes a sense of solidarity around the cause. But the real reason behind this is to get the community talking about the problem.”

Every day, Judge John Williams of Juvenile Court sees the traumatic and lasting effects that child abuse has on the physical and emotional development of our most vulnerable children. “We can’t look away when children are being abused. Help us raise awareness; wear blue.”

Hamilton County Job and Family Services is sponsoring a Facebook photo contest for the most creative photo featuring someone wearing blue. Visit and like the agency’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HCJFS, and share your picture. You can also follow the agency and post pictures on Twitter, @HamiltonCoJFS and #OhioWearsBlue.